What a water cost review costs

The most common question we are asked is also the most reasonable one: what does a water cost review actually cost? The honest answer is that it depends on the size and complexity of your site — but the structure is simple, transparent and designed so that the review pays for itself. This page sets out exactly how our fees work, so you can weigh up the value before you ever pick up the phone.

Start with a free initial review

Every engagement begins with a free initial review. There is no charge and no obligation. We look at your recent water bills, your meter arrangement and a short description of your premises, and we tell you whether there is a realistic saving worth chasing. If we do not think we can save you money, we will say so plainly — it is far better for everyone than selling you a survey that finds nothing.

Three ways to pay

Once we have agreed a full review is worthwhile, you choose the commercial model that suits you best. We keep the options deliberately straightforward.

• Fixed fee. A single agreed price for the full survey and report, quoted up front once we understand the site. You know the cost before we start and there are no surprises.
• Share of savings. We take an agreed percentage of the savings we actually deliver over a set period. If the measures save you less than expected, you pay less.
• No saving, no fee on recovery. Where our work is recovering historic overcharges or correcting your tariff, we can work on a contingency basis — if we recover nothing, you owe nothing.

Many clients combine these: a modest fixed fee for the survey itself, then a share-of-savings arrangement on the measures that are implemented. The right blend depends on whether your priority is certainty of cost or alignment of risk. We will talk it through with you during the initial stages of the process rather than pushing a single model.

What drives the price

A small single-meter office is quick to survey; a multi-building manufacturing site with process water and trade effluent takes longer and uncovers far more. The main factors are the number of meters and buildings, the complexity of your water use, whether process water is involved, and how much historic billing data needs validating. We price against the work, never against a rigid day-rate card.

Why a review is rarely a cost at all

It helps to reframe the question. A typical assessment identifies savings worth many times the fee, year after year, while the fee is paid only once. With a typical payback of around twelve months on implemented measures and recovery work that often costs nothing unless it succeeds, the review is better understood as an investment with a fast, measurable return than as an expense. The real cost is usually the one businesses do not see: the money quietly leaving through leaks, overcharges and waste while nothing is done.

No lock-in

We do not tie you into long contracts and we are independent of every water supplier, so our recommendations are never steered by a commission. You own the report and you are free to implement the measures yourself, with your own contractors, or with our help. The only thing we ask is the chance to show you the numbers first.

Find out what your site could save

The fastest way to get a real figure for your premises is the free initial review. It costs nothing, it takes very little of your time, and it tells you whether a full assessment is worth it. Request your free review and we will come back to you with an honest view of the opportunity.